Keshik (Civ5)
The Mongolian unique unit keshik has a significantly weaker melee attack than the knight it replaces, 8 vs 18, but it has a strong ranged attack which the knight does not have at all. The keshik is also a very fast unit having 5 movement points, compared to the 3 the knight has. Game Info: This Mongolian Unique Unit replaces the standard Knight. It possesses a strong ranged attack, increased movement rate, and earns promotions at a double rate. Unit battles also contribute double the amount of points towards earning a Great General. Strategy: The Keshik is a unique replacement for the Knight, available to the Mongols starting in the Medieval Era. Keshiks possess a strong ranged attack and an increased movement rate (5 points total), allowing it to perform hit and run attacks remarkably effectively. Also, Keshiks do not receive a penalty when attacking cities. If this wasn't enough, the Keshik also acquires promotions at double the rate of other units, and contributes twice the amount of points towards earning Great Generals. These mounted warriors singlehandedly afford Genghis control of the open plains. Anti-Keshik Strategy: Stronger and faster than a crossbowman, about the only archery unit that can try to hold its own against a lot of keshiks is the English longbowman, with its longer range. It is weaker, but has a range of 3 vs 2. You may try to use large numbers of longbowmen (if you are playing as Elizabeth) to try and attack them. Using pikemen against keshiks won't work very well, because Genghis will just stand away from your pikemen and kill them one by one. Longswordsmen are too slow to attack keshiks very well, despite their strength. Another strategy is to use your own mounted units to rush the Keshiks before they can use their ranged attack. Keshiks are weaker than regular knights in melee combat, but they are also faster and can retaliate against your knights without taking damage themselves, so you will need to overwhelm them in as few turns as possible to avoid being worn down. If you are playing as Siam, Nareusan's Elephants are particularly devastating against Keshiks, because of their added strength and damage bonus against mounted units. Arabia's Camel Archers also have a ranged attack, so you can use the Keshiks' own tactics against them, provided you can catch them within attack range. As with almost all units, Keshiks are severly damaged by powerful siege units (esp. trebuchet, cannons), so always ensure that there is a siege unit in the city. Historical Info: In the 12th century the Mongols came tumbling out of Central Asia, conquering most of Asia, Eastern Europe and a large portion of the Middle East within a century. The Mongols' primary weapon was their incomparable horse archers, the Keshiks. The Mongols were nomadic tribesmen, and their children were almost literally "raised in the saddle." Riding on their small but hearty steppe ponies, the lightly-armed and armored Mongols could cover an astonishing amount of territory in a day, far outpacing any infantry or even the heavier European cavalry. In battle the Mongol Keshiks would shoot from horseback with deadly accuracy, disrupting and demoralizing the enemy formations. Once the enemy was suitably weakened, the Mongol heavy cavalry units would charge into the wavering foe to deliver the coup de grace. When facing armored European knights the Mongols would simply shoot their horses, then ignore or destroy the unhorsed men as they wished.